Awards For Excellence – Lancashire Finalists
23/02/10
Seven Northwest finalists up for English tourism ‘Oscars’
Seven businesses from England’s Northwest have been shortlisted for some of the tourism industry’s highest accolades in the annual Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. Organised annually by Visit England, the awards recognise the best of the country’s tourism businesses and professionals.
This year the Northwest has one of the highest numbers of nominees, matching Yorkshire and the South West and beating other tourism hotspots including London. The shortlist highlights the strength of the region’s tourism industry and reflects the increasingly high standards that are to be found across the Northwest.
All of the shortlisted nominees have already won at the England’s Northwest Tourism Awards organised by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and will now be pitted against their counterparts from across England at the Awards Ceremony in Brighton on St George’s Day (April 23rd).
The finalists were selected by a board of tourism industry judges. The Ashton in Lancaster has been shortlisted in the Bed and Breakfast category. Blackpool Illuminations is up for Tourism Event of the Year. Manchester’s Lowry Hotel is a finalist in the Large Hotel category whilst Imperial War Museum North is up for the Large Visitor Attraction accolade. Gilpin Lodge in Windermere is a finalist in the Small Hotel category, Low Sizergh Farm Shop in Kendal has been shortlisted for the Taste of England Award and Christina Dixion from Jury’s Inn in Liverpool is up for Outstanding Customer Service.
Nick Brooks-Sykes, Director of Tourism at the NWDA, said:
“This is great news for England’s Northwest; it’s a reflection of the increasing quality, excellent service and value for money that visitors are finding across the whole of the region. Our regional tourism awards are tough so I’m confident that we have some excellent finalists going forward to the national awards; they are leading the way in establishing England’s Northwest as a major visitor destination and provide a benchmark for quality, not just across the region, but across the country.”
VisitEngland chairman Lady Cobham and chair of the judging panel said: “Our tourism awards really showcase the wealth of high quality and affordable holiday experiences on offer in England today. The judges were impressed with the huge, continued investment made by tourism businesses across all categories in spite of the recession. These finalists demonstrate how successful that commitment to quality has been. “
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Notes to editors
About the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence
The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 celebrate the best of English tourism and are in their 21st year. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England’s place as a world-class destination.
For a full list of finalists go to www.enjoyengland.com/excellence
For further information please contact Helen Batte, Tourism Press Officer on 01925 400235 or 07764 239856 or [email protected]
For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925 400259.
For further information and to view all press releases visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England’s Northwest and is responsible for:
- Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
- Matching skills provision to employer needs
- Creating the conditions for economic growth
- Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
- Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life